I put Bad Girls on despite my better judgment, but only as background noise. As a result, I was watching ITV – sorry, ITV1 – again. Edward Woodward’s appearance in a trailer for Yet Another ITV Detective Series reminds me of an excellent scene in an episode of The Lone Gunmen I caught a bit of at the weekend. The Gunmen have received an e-mail with a cry for help. Edward Woodward plays the voice on the recording. (Quotes lifted from http://www.redwolf.com.au/lgm/season01/1aeb05.html.)

Recording: “…We are victims of experimentation meant to alter the structure of our brains. Don’t allow me to die in this hateful, and immoral captivity. Please, help me to escape.”
Jimmy: “So, what do you think?”
Yves: “I think that’s Edward Woodward.” <The others looks blank> “Edward Woodward, the actor. He played The Equaliser on TV.”
Jimmy: “The guy from The Equaliser is being held by government scientists?”
Yves: “No. I think, perhaps, somebody is having a bit of fun with you.”
Jimmy: “This Equaliser guy, why is he messing with our heads?”
Byers: “Jimmy, I don’t think it’s really Edward Woodward.”

Well, it was funny at the time.

In London today for an LDYS Conference Committee meeting, just to show that I don’t spend all of my time in front of the TV. Although I did watch an episode of 24 on the train down, and will probably catch up with some more on the way back.

Finished the first series of Bugs last night. The last episode was quite good, which must explain why they decided to feature Jean-Daniel as a recurring character throughout series two. On the whole though, the series was a bit ropey – but I doubt that will stop me getting the DVD of series two.

Oh, and excellent music news: I think I’ve managed to secure a ticket to see Franz Ferdinand next week. Fingers crossed…

Leeds was like a ghost town this afternoon. Most of the shops were closed – annoying as I wanted to pick up a copy of the Franz Ferdinand album. Been watching a lot of music TV – most The Amp – this weekend and now the tunes in my head are like an Xfm playlist. The new FF single Matinee has grown on me very quickly. I’m also inclined towards In the Shadows by The Rasmus, although their lead singer (along with most of their fans in the video) needs to get a haircut and lay off the mascara. I’m also favouring Take Your Mama by the Scissor Sisters, whose lead singer appears to be Timothy Claypole off of Rentaghost.

Finished watching the second series Babylon 5 DVDs. Some really good episodes – The Long, Twilight Struggle was a particularly laudable one that I had forgotten. Already cracked open the third series.

Also finished off the third disc of Blake’s 7 series one. That’s another series which doesn’t have the apostrophe on screen – bit torn about whether to use it. (These things are important.) Speaking of which, I’m also now three episodes into the first series of Footballers Wives. Unfortunately, there are some annoying, “serious” characters who will, apparently, be with us until the end of the second series. Donna and Ian in particularly should Go Away.

Sadly, I have only managed one episode of Bugs this weekend. As well as Footballers Wives’ Jesse Birdseed, the episode in question also featured John Leeson from the Blakes 7 episode Duel. No-one from Babylon 5 was in it, although one B5 episode I watched this weekend did feature Father Ted’s Bishop Brennan as an alien doctor.

Now, who said I wasn’t cultured?

I’m sure I’m not the only one who transferred late to Earls Park, arriving for the third series of Footballers [sic] Wives, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’ll be devastated this evening once the last episode is over. Tacky (while stylish) and melodramatic, Footballers Wives is a breath of fresh air in a schedule of dumbed down documentaries and dreary dramas. With Ross Kemp in. Or John Hannah.

It also brings back memories of seminal US series Sunset Beach, an incredible, over-the-top show in which half the cast were trying desperately to make their careers and the other half were playing it for laughs. As far as I know, it was the only soap to have characters artificially aged by cursed jewelry, but I won’t surprised if I find that’s par for the course in American soaps.

Footballers Wives occasionally seems to think it’s pushing the boundaries, which may be slightly over-stating its importance, but there will nevertheless be a Wednesday-night-TV-shaped gap in my life next week. Fortunately, my local library appears to stock the videos of the first two series. Good to see my council tax is doing some good.